Comments for Communicating freelyhttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane
Thoughts on how we can all talk a little easier, and how that can make life better.Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:59:22 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1Comment on Akademy 2008 rocked by ruphyhttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=59&cpage=1#comment-2
ruphyMon, 25 Aug 2008 08:59:22 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=59#comment-2<strong>N810 CPU</strong>
400 mhz? I was sure it was 200mhz!
Anyways, it runs pretty smoothly also on my eeepc downclocked to 111mhz. =)N810 CPU

400 mhz? I was sure it was 200mhz!
Anyways, it runs pretty smoothly also on my eeepc downclocked to 111mhz. =)

]]>Comment on Be nice to developers by rcahttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=58&cpage=1#comment-3
rcaTue, 24 Jun 2008 12:31:55 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=58#comment-3<strong>How to give and receive support</strong>
I think this is actually a much more complicated issue than it might seem on the surface.
If you look at the large Ubuntus upport network (not entirely free software, but close), it's mostly based on volunteer experts. They sit in forums IRC channels and try to solve people's problems. Often they help with software for which they aren't themselves developers -- they are simply users. So if the software is popular enough and if the right support channels exist, users can find support for it from people other than the developer.
This also works commercially of course, where guaranteed support services can be bought. Free software gives us a broad choice here, with software support again not coming from the main developers, but from independent companies all over the world.
The problem more often arises when a piece of software is "small" enough for users to talk to developers directly. At this stage, the developers are often coders, first- to third-level supporters and QA rolled into one. Here it becomes hard for users to make any distinction between the roles of a developer, and for many users, "the software doesn't work" is the most important issue when they visit a developer's website.
They might not consider that supplying the developers with bug reports might be required, and that fixing an issue might take several weeks after that. They are *talking* to the developer, but they are *expecting* to be talking to a support person. The developer is talking to an end user, but expecting to be talking to a beta tester.
I think this gap between expectations is what creates a lot of friction at that point. The same users that are happy to be completely ignored by proprietary software makers when venting on a support hotline are not happy anymore when talking to developers and being told that their issue might have to wait, or that they should supply more detailed issue reports.
In some way, many users are not ready to interact with developers directly (yet) :)How to give and receive support

I think this is actually a much more complicated issue than it might seem on the surface.

If you look at the large Ubuntus upport network (not entirely free software, but close), it’s mostly based on volunteer experts. They sit in forums IRC channels and try to solve people’s problems. Often they help with software for which they aren’t themselves developers — they are simply users. So if the software is popular enough and if the right support channels exist, users can find support for it from people other than the developer.

This also works commercially of course, where guaranteed support services can be bought. Free software gives us a broad choice here, with software support again not coming from the main developers, but from independent companies all over the world.

The problem more often arises when a piece of software is “small” enough for users to talk to developers directly. At this stage, the developers are often coders, first- to third-level supporters and QA rolled into one. Here it becomes hard for users to make any distinction between the roles of a developer, and for many users, “the software doesn’t work” is the most important issue when they visit a developer’s website.

They might not consider that supplying the developers with bug reports might be required, and that fixing an issue might take several weeks after that. They are *talking* to the developer, but they are *expecting* to be talking to a support person. The developer is talking to an end user, but expecting to be talking to a beta tester.

I think this gap between expectations is what creates a lot of friction at that point. The same users that are happy to be completely ignored by proprietary software makers when venting on a support hotline are not happy anymore when talking to developers and being told that their issue might have to wait, or that they should supply more detailed issue reports.

In some way, many users are not ready to interact with developers directly (yet)

]]>Comment on KDE 4: Shane’s conclusion (a little late) by attitudehttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=57&cpage=1#comment-26
attitudeWed, 18 Jun 2008 19:54:53 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=57#comment-26<strong>Really good thing after a while</strong>
KDE4 really rocks. I am testing it for a while, to be more precise, right after it hit experimental, and I am very glad that someone finally made some really progressive step forward in modern computer desktop. Beside speed, responsiveness and fancy style, KDE4 started a big changes since it is the first mainstream, big, feature rich, whatever DE, which actually is starting move away from the desktop metaphor which more or less unified desktop interfaces on all OS's.
Anyway, I am waiting Debian to include it to Sid, since experimental install is not stable enough for my everyday use, and I am to lazy to compile :D I am still not sure will Thinkpad keys work and can it be solved with some kmilo/tpb tuning. Anyway, it seems that KDE4 bought us all :)Really good thing after a while

KDE4 really rocks. I am testing it for a while, to be more precise, right after it hit experimental, and I am very glad that someone finally made some really progressive step forward in modern computer desktop. Beside speed, responsiveness and fancy style, KDE4 started a big changes since it is the first mainstream, big, feature rich, whatever DE, which actually is starting move away from the desktop metaphor which more or less unified desktop interfaces on all OS’s.

Anyway, I am waiting Debian to include it to Sid, since experimental install is not stable enough for my everyday use, and I am to lazy to compile I am still not sure will Thinkpad keys work and can it be solved with some kmilo/tpb tuning. Anyway, it seems that KDE4 bought us all

]]>Comment on KDE 4: Shane’s conclusion (a little late) by grevehttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=57&cpage=1#comment-29
greveMon, 16 Jun 2008 16:58:29 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=57#comment-29<strong>I admit it: I'm jealous!</strong>
Let me share some background with you: Shane has a strong predisposition against anything that resembles text. At least when it has to do with computers. In other words: He genuinely loathes text-based interfaces and likes graphics.
So since I typically don't mind having to apply some text-based duct-tape to my system to hold it together, I figured that I should have no issues whatsoever using KDE4 and gave it a spin.
Unfortunately it looked like this: http://bugs.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=25122&action=view
Like a good Free Software citizen, I filed the bug (http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=163218) and am now waiting for its resolution.
But since I am not the patient type when it comes to technical gadgets, I am admittedly a bit jealous of Shane now.I admit it: I’m jealous!

Let me share some background with you: Shane has a strong predisposition against anything that resembles text. At least when it has to do with computers. In other words: He genuinely loathes text-based interfaces and likes graphics.

So since I typically don’t mind having to apply some text-based duct-tape to my system to hold it together, I figured that I should have no issues whatsoever using KDE4 and gave it a spin.

]]>Comment on The Freedom Task Force goes live! by michael_kallashttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=31&cpage=1#comment-45
michael_kallasMon, 13 Nov 2006 19:32:45 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=31#comment-45<strong>On a second thought</strong>
...though, this is only one piece in the fight for Free Software and Free Society. The long-term struggles in WIPO, UN and other places are as important.On a second thought

…though, this is only one piece in the fight for Free Software and Free Society. The long-term struggles in WIPO, UN and other places are as important.

]]>Comment on The Freedom Task Force goes live! by michael_kallashttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=31&cpage=1#comment-44
michael_kallasMon, 13 Nov 2006 13:00:34 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=31#comment-44<strong>Great!</strong>
This is great news which we'll happily announce at the forthcoming GLWE.
Now we have a definitive answer to questions like "What are you doing to protect Free Software / projects?"Great!

This is great news which we’ll happily announce at the forthcoming GLWE.
Now we have a definitive answer to questions like “What are you doing to protect Free Software / projects?”

]]>Comment on Dim sum in Zurich by rcahttp://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=30&cpage=1#comment-43
rcaThu, 09 Nov 2006 05:25:27 +0000http://blogs.fsfe.org/shane/?p=30#comment-43<strong>Dim sum == winter saviors</strong>
I know that little dim sum stand :) I'm not sure if current temperatures qualify as winter, but when it's cold enough, the lady there puts down thick translucent plastic curtains around the stand and switches on the heating. It's lovely when there's a "crowd" of six in there, huddling near the heater and munching on steaming hot dim sum while everyone on the other side of the curtain is freezing.
On the other hand, I think they've rebuilt recently. Maybe they have walls now! Gotta head there once again these days.Dim sum == winter saviors

I know that little dim sum stand I’m not sure if current temperatures qualify as winter, but when it’s cold enough, the lady there puts down thick translucent plastic curtains around the stand and switches on the heating. It’s lovely when there’s a “crowd” of six in there, huddling near the heater and munching on steaming hot dim sum while everyone on the other side of the curtain is freezing.

On the other hand, I think they’ve rebuilt recently. Maybe they have walls now! Gotta head there once again these days.